An integrated circuit that can be reconfigured is used as one example of an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit that can be reconfigured is constituted to be various logic circuits by rewriting internal setting information. For such a characteristic, the integrated circuit that can be reconfigured is used in various fields in such a way as to be used for producing a prototype and used as a circuit for image processing, communication or the like, for example.
Further, a variable resistance element is being used as a memory cell and a switch included in the integrated circuit. The variable resistance element is also called a variable-resistance nonvolatile element. The variable resistance element transits between a state of a high resistance value and a state of a low resistance value by application of voltage or current and the like. A resistance value of the variable resistance element is held in a nonvolatile manner. A chip area and power consumption can be reduced by replacing a memory cell and a switch included in the integrated circuit with the variable resistance element. The same technique is also described in Non Patent Literature 1 (NPL1).
Patent Literature 1 (PTL1) describes an example of a reconfiguration circuit chip using a variable resistance element. In the example described in PTL1, the variable resistance element is used as a routing switch or a memory.
Further, Patent Literature 2 (PTL2) to Patent Literature 4 (PTL4) each describe an example of a variable resistance element. PTL2 describes an example of a resistive random access memory (ReRAM). Patent Literature 3 (PTL3) describes an example of a phase change random access memory (PRAM). Further, Patent Literature 4 (PTL4) describes a resistive random access memory having a resistance value to be changed by controlling, with an applied voltage, generation/disappearance of a bridge, which is called NanoBridge (registered trademark), formed by a metal atom in a solid electrolyte.